Cocktails with Cynar
Cynar is a dark Italian bittersweet amaro made from artichoke leaves and herbs. It tastes of caramel and bitter herbs with an earthy edge, not of cooked artichoke.
ABV16.5%A 35% version, Cynar 70, also exists, and swapping it in means rethinking the ratios.
How it's used
At 16.5% it is light enough to pour in real volume, even as the base of a spritz, where a fernet would overwhelm the drink. It is bittersweet rather than aggressive, so in a Negroni or Manhattan variation it shifts the drink without taking it over. In Argentina it is commonly mixed with grapefruit soda. Rye and sweet vermouth suit it in a stirred drink.
Substitutes for Cynar
Cardamaro
The closest match, one for one. It is a little less sweet, about 170 g of sugar per liter against Cynar's 250.
Similar sugar, but rounder and without the earthy note. They are stronger, so pour slightly less.
Cynar 70
Makes the drink stronger, so use a little less.
Campari
As sweet as Cynar, but it turns the drink red, brighter and more bitter.
